14. THE PRONOUNS OF EPHESIANS

An interesting study in Ephesians, chapter 1, can be had by studying the relationship of the various pronouns used by Paul as he unfolds his teachings. In the first chapter, we find 'you', v.2, 16,17; 'us' v.3-6, 8-9,19; 'we', v.4, 7,11-12; 'ye', v.13, 18; 'your', v.13, 15,18; 'our'2,3,14,17. We shall not include in this study any references to the pronouns 'who', v. 3; 'he', v.4,6,8,9,10,20; 'him', v.4,10,11,17,20,22; 'his', v.5,6,7,9,11,12,18,19, 20,22,23, which refer mainly to the Father and to Christ.

An interesting comment is made by author Guy Marks, in his book, The Purpose of God's Will, concerning those pronouns as they are found in the first fifteen verses of Ephesians chapter 1. "Therefore, I suggest we make a careful study of those, for if we go astray here we will be wrong throughout the entire book"(page 266) There certainly is wisdom in an exhortation to make a good or right beginning.

A Bible teacher named Jerry Wayne Bernard has a study on these pronouns and has identified 'saints' as believing Gentiles and 'the faithful (brethren) as believing Israel.

Cf. Eph. 1:1, Col. 1:1. The verse states : Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.

A closer look at the verse shows that there is a parallelism here, concerning one group and not two:

To the saints which are at Ephesus
To the faithful in Christ Jesus

On the one hand, these believers are saints set apart in the world at Ephesus. This is their state. On the other hand, they are faithful in Christ Jesus in their standing before God. But there is only one group.

Guy Marks in his study, argues that the "saints" of 1:1 refers to Israel, and that "Then in Ephesians 1:13 Paul writes separately to those believers who are out of the nations where he says: "in whom ye also"(who are not saints), for in the Scriptures only those of Israel are identified as "saints". (Page 267). " Consequently there is a very strong emphasis in this letter on the distinction between those who are called saints and those out of the nations who are blessed together with the saints." (page 268)

It is this writer's opinion, that the two views above are not acceptable to a common, ordinary approach to this epistle. Consider the flow of the epistle. Emphasis and attention should be given to the writer and the readers.

Paul the writer to the saints even the faithful 1:1

Grace be to you and peace 1:2

Paul and other believers who first trusted in Christ 1:12

In whom ye also (trusted) 1:13 ye heard the word of truth 1:13

your salvation 1"13 ye believed 1:13 ye were sealed 1:13

One might continue this throughout the entire epistle with the same results. Paul is writing to a single group, who are identified clearly in Eph. 3:1 as you Gentiles.

The word Israel is mentioned in 2:12, who are also the 'circumcision' of 2:11.But we need to deal with the 'gap' between Eph. 1:2 and 1:13. That is, there is a 'gap' between the first reference to a 'you' and the next reference in 1:13 to 'ye', a reference to the same people.

In this group of verses (1:3-12) appear the many plural pronouns as our, v. 2-3; us, v. 3,4,5,6,8,9 and we, v. 4,7,11,12. It would seem that Paul begins to include himself AND those to whom he is writing this epistle, who would be the saints, the Gentiles.

But, there also seems to be in 1:12 a group of believers that Paul includes with himself, who were enjoying all the many things mentioned in 1:3-11, but who were believers BEFORE the folks at Ephesus became believers. (And there were many believers before Paul ever came to Ephesus to preach.) We see this at 1:12, at the end of the verse. As we look at this, we must be aware that 1:3-14 in the original Greek is all one sentence.

Paul is not starting to address someone other than the saints in1:13. He is not as Guy Marks may contend, "Then in Ephesians 1:13 Paul writes separately to those believers who are out of the nations".

In 1:12, Paul says, "That we should be to the praise of his glory"……… and then he identifies who the WE are of this particular context, namely, the ones who first trusted in Christ (before any of you Ephesians had heard and believed). But the sentence and thought does not stop here but continues into 1:13, In whom ye also [trusted]. The verb 'trusted' is NOT in the verse/text, but is supplied to the English reader in order to grasp what Paul intends to reveal and imply here.: That there are those with Paul, who became believers( who first trusted/hoped in Christ, before the Ephesians became believers) who also share with the saints of Ephesus the great truths mentioned in the plural pronoun section, and in the other great truths in the remainder of the epistle.


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